1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to lacrosse sticks, and more particularly, to a lacrosse stick head having a wide catching area and channeled thongs.
2. Background of the Invention
In 1970, the introduction of double-wall, synthetic lacrosse heads revolutionized the game of lacrosse. In comparison to the traditional wooden single-wall heads, the synthetic heads imparted a balance, lightness, maneuverability, and flexibility never-before experienced by lacrosse players. These performance advantages greatly enhanced players' skills such as throwing, catching, cradling, and scooping, and brought the sport of lacrosse to new levels of speed and excitement.
FIG. 1A illustrates a conventional lacrosse stick 100 having a handle 102 shown in dotted lines and a double-wall synthetic head 104. Head 104 includes a generally V-shaped frame having a juncture 106, sidewalls 108 and 110, a transverse wall (or “scoop”) 112 joining the sidewalls at their ends opposite juncture 106, and a stop member 114 joining sidewalls 108 and 110 at their ends nearest juncture 106. As shown, handle 102 fits into and through juncture 106, and abuts stop member 114. A screw or other fastener placed through opening 107 secures handle 102 to head 104.
For traditionally-strung pockets (which have thongs and string instead of mesh), thongs (not shown) made of leather or synthetic material extend from upper thong holes 116 in scoop 112 to lower thong holes 118 in stop member 114. In some designs, such as the design shown in FIG. 1A, upper thong holes 116 are located on tabs 117 of the scoop 112. In other designs, upper thong holes 116 are located directly on the scoop 112. FIG. 1A shows four pairs (116, 118) of thong holes that accept four thongs.
To complete the pocket web, the thongs have nylon strings threaded around the thongs and string laced through string holes 120 in sidewalls 108 and 110, forming any number of diamonds (crosslacing). Finally, one or more throwing or shooting strings extend transversely between the upper portions of sidewalls 108 and 110, attaching to throwing string hole 124 and a string laced through string hole 122. The typical features of a lacrosse stick are shown generally in Tucker et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,507,495, Crawford et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,034,984, and Tucker et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,566,947, which are all incorporated by reference herein.
In addition to traditionally strung heads, some heads use mesh pockets or a combination of traditional and mesh stringing. In any case, the mesh or stringing is conventionally attached to the head through holes in the scoop, sidewalls, and stop members, or by tabs attached to the scoop, sidewalls, and stop members. These tabs can have openings through which mesh or stringing is threaded, or can be shaped (e.g., like a hook) to retain loops of the mesh or stringing.
As used herein, thread holes or thread openings refer to the openings that receive the various forms of pocket stringing, such as the holes in the scoop, sidewalls, and stop members, or the openings in tabs attached to the scoop, sidewalls, and stop members. The term “openings” should be construed broadly so as to encompass any hole or structure that retains the pocket stringing, including structures such as hooks. Also, as used herein, a pocket thread refers to any member, such as a thong, string, or mesh, that forms the pocket and/or attaches the pocket to the lacrosse head.
The traditional shape of a lacrosse head is commonly referred to as generally V-shaped. In other words, looking at the face of a lacrosse head, the width between the sidewalls increases as the sidewalls extend from the ball stop to the scoop, with the widest point being in the area of the transition between the sidewalls and the scoop. Typically, rules applicable to competitive lacrosse dictate the minimum width a lacrosse head must possess (e.g., 6½ inches). According to conventional thinking, providing the greatest width near the scoop enables a player to more easily scoop ground balls and catch thrown balls, and direct the balls down into the pocket of the lacrosse head.
With respect to scooping ground balls, improvements in the ball retention characteristics of lacrosse heads have changed the modem game of lacrosse such that it is now more difficult to check balls loose and create ground ball opportunities. Simply put, there are less ground balls in the modem game of lacrosse than were typical in years past. Consequently, the modem game emphasizes precise passing and catching over the scooping of ground balls.
In addition, with respect to catching thrown balls, it is now recognized that most players catch a ball in the center section of a lacrosse head, and not within the widest portion of the head near the scoop. Thus, players are more apt to miss a ball as it bounces off the closely positioned sidewalls in the center area of the head.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,791 to Feeney discloses a lacrosse head having a shape somewhat contrary to this conventional thinking. Feeney discloses a composite lacrosse head in a generally circular, or closed loop, configuration. Viewed from the front face, the central section of the Feeney head is of the greatest width. Starting from the ball stop, the sidewalls of the head immediately diverge away from each other in slightly convex lines to the point at which the central section reaches its greatest width. From that point to the scoop, the sidewalls converge toward each other in concave lines. FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram of the Feeney lacrosse head 196 showing the concave portions 197 and convex portions 198 of head 196, with dotted lines marking the approximate transitions between each section of the sidewalls.
As used herein, the terms concave and convex are discussed relative to the interior area defined by the ball stop, sidewalls, and scoop of a lacrosse head. In other words, looking at the front face of a lacrosse head, a convex sidewall bends toward the interior of the lacrosse head, while a concave sidewall bends away from the interior of the lacrosse head. The bending of a sidewall can be judged, for example, relative to a point drawn roughly in the center of the interior area of the lacrosse head.
Although the lacrosse head of Feeney may provide a larger catching area in the center area of the head, this increased area raises additional drawbacks. For example, the increased area enables a ball to rattle more within the head, making the control and retention of the ball difficult. In addition, the ordinary interwoven string pocket shown and described in Feeney compounds the difficulties in avoiding this ball rattle. In addition, because the sidewalls of Feeney diverge immediately starting from the ball stop, a ball can easily rattle and exit the head at locations very close to the ball stop.
Thus, in view of the drawbacks of conventionally shaped heads, there remains a need for a lacrosse head that provides a wide catching area, yet maximizes ball retention and control.